The present invention relates to lighting systems, and more particularly to lighting systems for vehicles.
Most vehicles include lights for night-time or low-light operation. For example, many automobiles, recreational vehicles, off-road vehicles, tractors, snow blowers and the like include a conventional lighting system that illuminates a path in front of the vehicle and/or an area of interest to the vehicle operator. Such conventional lighting systems usually include a bulb, a socket and a reflector. The bulb is plugged into the socket, which is secured to the reflector. The bulb projects into a concave chamber defined by the reflector. The reflector is coated with a reflective substance to focus light produced by the bulb. The socket usually includes a rubber seal that seals around the bulb to prevent dust and debris from entering through the socket and diminishing the reflective capacity of the reflector. The front of the reflector is covered with a lens which may or may not focus light emitted by the bulb and reflected by the reflector.
Although conventional vehicular lighting systems provides illumination for vehicles, they present several challenges. First, due to vehicle vibration, the bulb sometimes becomes unplugged from the socket or damaged in such a manner that the electrical coupling between the socket and bulb is terminated. Second, the seal around the socket can fail, allowing dust or debris to enter the reflector and coat the bulb, which can result in diminished light transmission. Third, the socket and bulb require a solid mechanical connection to minimize the possibility of the bulb disengaging from the socket. Fourth, the bulb can require a complicated system to accurately align the bulb in the reflector so that the light produced by the bulb is efficiently projected forward. This can require additional components and hardware, making the lighting assembly costly and labor intensive to produce.